Bulgaria, a beautiful Balkan country, is visited by thousands of our compatriots every year. Someone goes on vacation, someone goes to relatives, some - to visit their own property or on business. In any case, Russians are eager to use the Bulgarian postal service. However, few of them realize that the post office in Bulgaria appeared thanks to the Russian Imperial Army. Today it is a well-established national postal service of the European level.
Bulgarian postal service
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, postal and telegraph communications on the territory of Bulgaria were completely destroyed. The Russian military field and the ordinary postal service created by the Civil Directorate at the headquarters of the Russian army created the conditions under which the Bulgarian post office was quickly formed. The first Bulgarian stamps were printed in Russia and entered circulation in 1879.
Today the "Single Joint Stock Company" (EAD) "Balgarski Poschi" is the main postal operator of the country. A sole proprietorship is a specific form of collective ownership run by the state: the organization is governed by a three-member board of directors appointed by the Minister of Transport.
This structure was created due to the fact that it was required to comply with the directives of the Parliament and the Council of Europe No. 67/15 and No. 34/10 concerning the general principles of creating a market for postal services in the EU.
Organizational structure
Bulgarian Post EAD has 28 territorial subdivisions under its jurisdiction - one in each region. In addition to regional postal stations (OPS), there is a specialized subdivision “Bulgarian philately and numismatics”.
The structure includes almost 3 thousand post offices, each of which serves about 10 thousand people.
In particular, they are on the popular among Russians Sunny Beach, in Burgas, Sveti Vlas, Sofia, Sozopol, Pomorie, Plovdiv, Varna, Nessebar and Ravda.
In total, there are slightly more than 5 thousand mailboxes in the country, and the total length of postal routes does not exceed 75 thousand km. There are about 14 thousand employees in the state. By the way, the postal code in Bulgaria is a four-digit code.
Provided service
The service offers the following services:
- postage: receiving and sending letters, including electronic ones, postcards, parcels, parcels, advertising brochures, including standard shipments, express mail and courier delivery through EMS Bulgaria, receiving and sending messages and graphic documents by fax;
- customs: preparation of customs declarations, filling out forms for obtaining an EORI number, full customs clearance of goods with home delivery;
- financial: sending and receiving money transfers, payments, issuing quick loans, as well as direct sales of goods from a partner ─ AVON;
- trade: sale of newspapers, magazines, postage stamps, vignettes (stickers) for cars, excise stamps, lottery tickets, tickets for sports and cultural events, prepaid cards of mobile operators, travel products and sports goods. Also here you can buy databases containing postal codes of Bulgaria and other countries;
- transport insurance.
Distribution of printed publications by subscription is an essential part of the work of institutions. Until 2021, it is planned to equip the branches with wireless Internet access, which will be free. A free service for filling and sending any electronic documents and even online communication is gradually being introduced.
Departures from Bulgaria
Any person, natural or legal, including a foreign one, can use the postal services. You can send a parcel to Russia from Bulgaria in all branches without exception. The same goes for letters, including emails.
The only thing that can complicate the task is weight restrictions from 2 to 20 kg, depending on the type of shipment. It is allowed to transport unpacked goods in packages and bags, the mass of which does not exceed 31.5 kg.
The nearest office can be easily identified on the post office website. There you can also find out about the conditions and goods allowed for shipment.
To send a parcel from Bulgaria to Russia, you need to do the same as at home: bring the items to be sent (packing in boxes and boxes is not required here), inform the employee what is being sent, the recipient's zip code and address, and pay, including insurance.
Delivery options and times
Transportation is carried out by rail, road or air. Of course, the price will be different.
In addition to the cost, Russians are always interested in how much a parcel goes from Bulgaria to Moscow or another city. The shipment time depends on the points of departure and arrival, as well as on the type of transport used to deliver. According to the approved rules, this is from 4 to 20 days.
If there is a delay of more than 10 days, the sender is obliged to notify. The delay can be caused by the difficulty of synchronizing work with the customs of the two countries. Although in practice, the parcel usually arrives in a few days, and the letter in one day.
There probably isn't much point in telling how to send a postcard from Bulgaria to Russia. You will have to buy a stamp at the post office, but you can bring your own. Delivery is made in a day.
Urgency
The general terms of service speak of three days maximum for urgent delivery. If you need a special speed, it is better to use international shipping services such as DHL, Fedex, UPS, TNT or some other. The real terms will be shorter here. But the urgency will have to pay more.
For some reason, the cost in the opposite direction is always higher. Apparently, the difference in the living standards of Muscovites and Bulgarians is taken into account.
By the way, express parcels from Moscow to Bulgaria are delivered on the same or the next day. But shipping a small package of documents costs between 100 and 170 euros.
Some services do not undertake the transfer of passports (eg DHL). Therefore, the best option is the services of the Russian Post. Both quickly and significantly cheaper.
Identification numbers
Domestic shipments under 2kg may not be trackable. All international and heavier ones are always registered ─ they are assigned track numbers of the Bulgarian post of a single international format. In the receipt received at the department, this must be mandatory.
The number can be of four types, each of which consists of 13 characters (x - unique numeric values, BG - country of dispatch):
- RAхххххххххBG - registered shipments up to 2 kg are marked with the letter R (Registered).
- CDхххххххххBG - a parcel weighing up to 20 kg always starts with the letter C (apparently, it means Cargo);
- EExхххххххххBG - EMS fast delivery option is designated by the letter E (Emergency):
- VFхххххххххBG ─ with notification of receipt.
The second letter can be any of the Latin alphabet. Domestic shipments are designated by the letter combination PS.
Determining the status of parcels
Tracking of postal items of Bulgarian mail to another state is usually available immediately after sending directly on the website of the postal service. It should be borne in mind that any shipment goes through several stages:
- Reception at the department.
- Processing and sorting at the center of international postal exchange.
- Export-import clearance.
- Transportation.
- Sorting in the country of destination.
- Delivery to the final addressee.
You can fully trace the path of the internal ones on the bulpost.bgpost.bg portal. Tracking of international postal items in Bulgaria on the website of the service is available only before leaving the country. This requires:
- Open the official website of the Bulgarian postal service.
- On the main page, find the section "Track your item" (or Track your item if the English version is used).
- Enter the number.
- Initiate the search with the "Track" (or Track) button.
Then tracking is possible only on the official website of the postal operator of destination or on www.track-trace.com.In addition, there are many other online services that make it easy to track a parcel from Bulgaria by number. For example, you can use postal.ninja, parcelsapp.com, or 1track.ru.
Varieties of statuses
The information received can be very different. Let's indicate the main ones in Bulgarian:
- “Pratkata e received” - the item has been received;
- “Pratkata e prieta” ─ in the process of unloading at the point of issue;
- “Handling for washing” ─ in the process of processing a shipment;
- “Delivered” ─ in the process of delivery.
Statuses indicating where the parcel from Bulgaria to Russia in English can be as follows:
- Send item to customs ─ sent to customs;
- Send item to domestic location ─ sent to the place of issue;
- Receive item at delivery office ─ can be obtained at the delivery office;
- Send item abroad ─ sent abroad;
- Unsuccessful item delivery attempt ─ unsuccessful delivery attempt;
- Deliver item ─ in the process of delivery.
Shipping price
Courier delivery in Bulgaria is calculated according to the tariffs of specific operators. The rates of "Bulgarian Post" depend on the country of the addressee.
Russia is not a member of the EU, therefore, the following are set for it, depending on the mass:
- small letter (P format) ─ from 2.50 to 3.60 levs;
- large letter (format G) ─ from 4.50 to 15 levs;
- large letter in E format ─ from 2.90 to 66 levs;
- parcels up to 2 kg ─ from 2.90 to 35 levs;
- uninsured parcels delivered by land ─ depending on the tariff zone (there are five of them) and weight: from 27 to 432 levs;
- uninsured parcels delivered by air - from 29 to 754 leva.
The cost of a parcel from Russia to Bulgaria is also determined by its size, weight and method of transportation. But this is already the prerogative of the Russian services.
For notification of delivery, 2 levs are charged, for each day of storage - 0.3 levs, and for presentation for inspection by customs - 1.5 levs. More information can be found on the company's website in the pricing tab of the corresponding service section.
Contact details
All the necessary contact information can be obtained from the official website of the Bulgarian Post (www.bgpost.bg) in a special section. Clients are available for communication:
- email [email protected];
- phone numbers: * 7678 ─ for calls from fixed lines, 02/949 3280 ─ for calling via a smartphone (you need a SIM card of the A1 Bulgaria mobile operator);
- courier services ─ http://emsbulpost.bg.
In addition, in the same section, you can download the contact details of the FSA by clicking on the link "Contacts by region". And if you select the icon "Post station", then a page with the data of all post offices, including addresses, will open.
If you need a DHL delivery service in Bulgaria, you can use the official service page.
Conclusions
If you decide to send a parcel home, come to the office, show it and say: "I want to send it to Russia." Competent staff will help you further.
